Mushroom Meatball Stew
Photo: Carolina Ayala / Contributor
Mushrooms, especially wild foraged ones like morels or chantarelles are arguably the meatiest tasting vegetable. When combined with real meat, they amplify and absorb the taste of meat. In a stew, the flavor of the meat and mushrooms leaches out into the sauce and makes it even more delicious.
As we start to anticipate and invite cooler temperatures, this may be the perfect stew to start off a new season. Find the best mushrooms you can and leave them whole while you cook them. They may fall apart a bit but will hold up the flavors. The stew will taste even better the next day, when all the flavors have a had a little bit more time to mellow out.